Subclass 445 fees in 2026: payment before lodgement and Pacific island concessions

You have to pay the Subclass 445 visa application charge before you put the paper form in the post, and you have to put proof of that payment inside the envelope. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Dependent Child visa (subclass 445) page, the Department will not process the application until the charge is paid; if the correct charge is not paid, it will tell you and may return the application. The same page confirms that from 1 July 2026 a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, recognised through the passport they apply with.

This article is general information only and is not personalised advice about your case — amounts, eligibility and lodgement requirements should always be confirmed against the Department's current published material or with a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.

Do I really have to pay before I post the application?

Yes. The Subclass 445 is a paper-only visa: you complete Form 918 (Application for a subclass 445 (temporary) visa by a dependent child) and send it by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth, with correct prepaid postage included.

The Department states plainly that you must pay the application charge before you post your application, that it will not process the application until the charge is paid, and that the application should include proof you have paid the charge along with all relevant supporting documents.

What happens if the payment is missing or the wrong amount?

Two different problems follow from underpayment or non-payment. First, the Department says it cannot process the application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge; it will let you know and may return the application. Second, even where the application is accepted for processing, the Department lists failure to make full payment at the time of initial lodgement as one of the reasons an application can take longer.

Because the charge is paid before lodgement, the proof-of-payment document is part of what makes the package complete. Keep a copy of the whole application and supporting documents for your own records, and send certified copies rather than originals.

What other lodgement mistakes make the application invalid?

The Department warns that an application submitted at any office other than the Perth processing centre, or in any other way, is not valid, and invalid applications are not considered further. Applications for this visa cannot be submitted in person.

Other steps that can leave the package incomplete include missing documents, forms not completed in English, or insufficient postage; the Department says it will notify you if the application is invalid and, if requested, return it.

How much does the visa actually cost?

The Department directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator to work out what the visa will cost. The structure it describes is:

Component	What the Department says
Main applicant	The visa costs an amount for the main applicant, worked out with the Visa Pricing Estimator
Each dependent child applying with the main applicant	There is also a charge for each dependent child included
Health checks, police certificates, biometrics	There might also be other costs; the estimator does not consider these

So the estimator figure is not the whole budget. For a family planning around a parent's permanent Partner visa application, the separately charged items — health examinations, police certificates and any biometrics the Department later asks for — sit outside the estimate.

Who gets the reduced Pacific Island and Timor-Leste cost from 1 July 2026?

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application. The Department charges eligible applicants the lower cost during the application process and recognises eligibility when they apply with a valid passport from one of the specified countries.

The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of these countries:


Federated States of Micronesia	Fiji
Kiribati	Nauru
Palau	Papua New Guinea
Republic of the Marshall Islands	Samoa
Solomon Islands	Timor-Leste
Tonga	Tuvalu
Vanuatu

Whose passport decides the concession for family members?

Family members are also eligible for the lower visa cost, and the Department bases this on the passport of the primary applicant — or of the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria — not on each family member's own passport. For an agent preparing a package, that means checking the primary applicant's passport country before calculating the charge, rather than assuming the concession travels with the child's own travel document.

What does "valid application" mean in practice here?

The concession is expressed as applying to eligible citizens who lodge a valid visa application. On this visa, validity is bound up with the paper lodgement rules: correct form, correct destination, English completion, correct prepaid postage, payment made beforehand and proof of payment enclosed. Assume an applicant posts Form 918 without proof of payment — the Department's position is that it will not process the application until the charge is paid and it may return the application, so an application that is not validly lodged may not receive the discounted Pacific cost.

Who is allowed to charge for helping with a Subclass 445 application?

Only some people can lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee. The Department states that if you appoint someone to give immigration assistance they must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. You can appoint anyone to receive documents on your behalf.

For a paper application, appointment is done by sending the written notification or forms with the application:

Form 956 (Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person) to nominate someone to provide immigration assistance
Form 956A (Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient) to nominate someone to receive correspondence

What happens after the envelope goes out?

The Department says you should receive an acknowledgement of the application, and advice of any associated bridging visa, within approximately one month after lodgement. After you receive the acknowledgement letter, a paper application can be imported into ImmiAccount using the application ID, date of birth and identity document number, which gives access to online services such as attaching documents, updating details and checking status.

If the child was in Australia when the application was submitted, they are granted a bridging visa; if their current visa expires before the decision, the bridging visa starts and they can remain in Australia while the application is processed. The Department also states that the application fee is not refunded if the application is refused — which is another reason to get the charge right before lodgement rather than after.

Frequently Asked Questions

When must I pay the Subclass 445 visa application charge?

You must pay it before you post your paper application. The Department of Home Affairs states it will not process the application until the charge is paid, and that your application should include proof of payment together with your supporting documents.

What happens if I pay the wrong amount?

The Department says it cannot process the application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge; it will let you know and may return your application. Paying less than the full charge at initial lodgement is also listed as a reason processing can take longer.

Can I lodge a Subclass 445 application online or in person?

No. The Department requires this visa to be applied for on paper using Form 918, sent by post or courier to the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. Applications submitted at another office or in any other way are not valid, and applications cannot be submitted in person.

Does the Visa Pricing Estimator cover every cost?

No. The estimator works out the visa cost for the main applicant and the charge for each dependent child applying with them, but the Department notes the estimator does not consider other costs such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

Which countries qualify for the reduced cost from 1 July 2026?

The reduced cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens lodging a valid application, with the primary applicant holding a valid passport from a listed country: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Do family members get the reduced rate on their own passports?

Eligibility for family members is based on the passport of the primary applicant, or of the visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria, rather than on each family member's own passport. The Department says eligible applicants are recognised when they apply with a valid passport from one of the specified countries.

Is the fee refunded if the Subclass 445 application is refused?

No. The Department states that it will not refund the application fee if the application is refused. It also warns that invalid applications are not processed further, and that an incomplete application — for example one that does not include proof of payment — may be invalid.